Should You Vaccinate Your Baby? (Part 2)

In the first part of our article we looked at all the reasons you should say “yes” to vaccinating your baby and young children. After all, vaccinations were developed in order to protect us from harmful diseases that could be potentially fatal in many cases. However, they aren’t perfect and certainly aren’t suitable for everyone. Consider our list of downsides before you make your choice, starting with the following points.

Reasons to say “no”:

1) Vaccinations are irreversible. You can always have them later if you decide it’s a good idea, but once you’ve had one it’s impossible to take it back.

2) Many high profile incidents with vaccinations going wrong have been reported. Some injections that were considered safe later transpired to have dangerous side effects, resulting in drugs being withdrawn from the market.

3) In some countries, rules are much tighter than in the UK regarding vaccinations, which indicates a difference of opinion. In Japan, the minimum age for having a vaccination was increased to two years old in the 1970s, and the Japanese are known for being extremely healthy in later life, facts which some people have drawn connections between.

4) Vaccinations do not guarantee good health. They cover some rare diseases but for the majority of children these are not things they would ever come into contact with. The most common health conditions and causes of death are not covered by vaccinations.

5) Pharmaceutical companies are not necessarily the best authority on whether a drug is safe. Vaccinations may be produced for profit which can distort incentives and lead to cover-ups if evidence is discovered that indicates vaccinations could be dangerous. This has happened in the past and many people remain distrustful of companies who profit from producing drugs.

6) Some vaccinations can cause allergic reactions and even send someone into anaphylactic shock. It’s essential to do your best to determine if your child is allergic to anything that may be present in the vaccination.

7) Vaccines are not always appropriate depending on your current health conditions. Anyone who is already seriously ill, has a weakened immune system, is on high doses of steroids, has recently had radiotherapy or chemotherapy, or has recently had any kind of transplant should not be vaccinated.